OK having attended WDW in 2000 and 2002, and in both instances ridden there and back, with Ducati's 2016 event promising to be their best, celebrating 90 years of the marque, I have been planning another trip down to Misano, as a belated 50th birthday present to myself, but was contemplating another means to get there. Like I said I have done the trip twice by bike already, so for the purists amongst you, please don't flame me for this idea, but having factored in precious time off work, wear and tear, fuel, tyres, hotels and toll fees, I am toying with the idea of hiring a van (with space for four bikes) and driving down to Misano on or around the 28th June. Once unloaded, I will be free to ride around without having had to lug all my luggage there or buy a Venture Rack system just to carry it and am free to be less judicious about what I can and can't feasibly carry with me. At the end of the event, the bikes will be loaded back into the van to be back in the UK on or around the 5th July. As it is a rental van I am not worried about wear and tear and diesel vans (having driven one all the way fron Norwich to Carcassonne and back to the UK) are pretty economical on fuel. Would anyone be interested in sharing the cost of the rental with me? I am taking my Panigale and the wife's Monster (if she can get the time off work) and plan to take two others. You don't have to have the same agenda when we get there, as I have already a hotel in mind that I am staying in for the duration, so we could unload your bike/s at the hotel you choose and pick up on the way back, but I would welcome maybe someone to share the driving. The van wont be used once we get there, which might sound wasteful, but a weeks rental is not that expensive. I am just trying to mitigate the cost of fuel, toll fees and rental overall costs. Note that pick up and drop off in the UK will be from Norfolk or somewhere along the way to/from Dover. Naturally only one other person can fit in the van with the driver, so the rider of the second bike other than my own bikes will have to fly to/from Italy to meet us there and similarly back in the UK. My wife will either come with me, in which case both other bikes riders will have to fly out and back to meet me or if she does not come with me, then I will have space for three other bikes and one designated driver. Naturally one of you will have to travel in the van in the event my wife cannot attend. I also appreciate that it all comes down to trust, if you cannot travel with me, if she does, in as far as the safety and security of your bikes but that s something we can discuss in detail if you are interested in the idea. If no one is interested I will probably hire a smaller van and just take my own or both bikes with me.
I'd be up for this but I live in Somerset so Norfolk doesn't really work for me :-( I may take my own van down in convoy with Rich from Louigi Moto in Bristol. I'd have space for one more bike. If anyone is interested in coming with me, please let me know..
Could possibly be interested in one or the other though Somerset works better. Have to add though that to date i have not made any definite plans on going to WDW 2016, its just an idea at the moment.
Sound a great idea folks, but must for the first time ride there and back as a newbie to ducati and WDW.
We having not seen this thread until after I posted in the other WDW 2016 I guess I'm asking if the forum is forming a group that's RIDING there? I'd feel it's cheating if I took my bike in a van, just like I laughed at 5 guys that got out of a Ford mondeo at the NEC bike show complete with leathers boot and helmets. My wife says I can go on my own if needs be but I'd rather take her if any one else is thinking of going 2 up.
I have been twice and flown-in both times - once without a bike and once with my D16 which a mate took down for me in a van. I might consider riding down one day if I have the time ... but on the other hand everyone I have met at WDW in the past who rode down was absolutely knackered, seemed to have no appetite to enjoy riding their bikes around Misano when they got there, and weren't looking forward to the ride back. I'm not convinced that riding down is the best way to get the most out of WDW. I'd be keen to hear form those that have done it though.
I met you at WDW in Misano @Dave . I had enjoyed riding there (via Naples) and I was looking forward to the ride back via the Alps. Actually I might ride there and back for fun without bothering with the WDW.
Like you I've been twice and in my case both times on the bike there and back. Aside from the time spent in the saddle its still a fair old slog physically. I only considered the van as it negates the need to carry all the luggage with me, wear and tear, set of tyres, fuel (80 miles between fill-ups) plus the inescapable fact that it is quite fatiguing, and I'm that much older now! I want to get there in as much comfort and as stress free as possible and have three/four days to enjoy riding my bike throughout the region and all the WDW events that go with the experience once there.
I can see that most that have commented feel it's a long a fairly strenuous ride depending on where in the uk your coming from. Me, I have a two mile trip to the ferry in guernsey which docs in St Malo. Then it's a two or three day run down to Bologna through France and northern Italy. I'll be nearly 60 should I be going and a little dubious about making the journey now after the comments that have been posted.
Don't be put off going, as it is worth the effort if you are prepared to take a comfortable four days getting there and back. If not, see if you can share some space in a van with others or you can use these people instead: FlyBikeFly: European motorcycle transport to your favourite destinations Home - Fly and Ride EUROBIKETRANS LTD | European Motorcycle Transport & Much Much More
I don't want to criticise anything that others would want to do, but I bought the Ducati to ride it. I ride my bike whenever I get the chance and the thought of putting it on a train or aircraft when I could be riding it would be very sad for me. I have ridden UK to south of France many times and some trips have been half day illegal speed journeys through France and others have been 3 day 2 cheap hotel trips, but I was still riding. The wife and I might go to Croatia this year, but we will take our time and cross the south of France, through Italy and onward. If it has been a long day then we stop and find a hotel, if we are tired the next day then we spend an extra night. I believe a set of tyres for the 848 will last about 5000 kms and at €220 a set I can just fit new ones before I leave after all if it comes to my bike then no expense is spared.
That's why I bought mine too Bob, as was true for the last eight Ducatis I have owned. It is just that I have done WDW twice already and been there done that so to speak, so fancied an alternative means to get there, as opposed to riding all the way there and back again over 4 days, for a three day event. As my wife may well join me on her Monster, not sure she is keen on the ride down and back, so we figured the van would be a better option, but most people need do what works best to suit their own needs/desires.
Yes everyone to their own. You guys who still work are on a much tighter time schedule than we are and I appreciate that. When I lived in Norfolk and we came down here visiting on two bikes we left as quickly as possible to get here and then took very leisurely trips back, but with that Channel there was always a ferry to catch. The trip to WDW will be about 1350 kms one way for us, so we will take our time and we might just go on to Croatia afterwards.
There is also Bikeshuttle, who transport your bike between Northampton to Geneva overnight while you fly using EasyJet from Luton. I used Bikeshuttle last year because the AutoSlaap train service from Den Bosch ceased operating a month before my wife and I had a tour of Sardinia booked. I've booked with then this year for our tour around Corsica. The reason I've used BikeShuttle and the AutoSlaap train is that my wife doesn't like to be on the bike for more than 4 or 5 hours a day and I don't like riding on motorways - so we don't get too far in a day and it would take a week just to get to Italy or the South of France.
